NHIS Health Insurance Coverage Estimates - Table 2

Table 2. Number of persons under 65 years of age with and without health insurance coverage by coverage type: United States, selected years 1968 – 2007

Year

Population under age 65 in millions

Private coverage1

Public coverage2

Uninsured3

Any4

Employer5

Other6

Medicaid7

Medicare8

Other9

Number of persons under age 65 in millions

1968

177.1

140.5

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

1970

180.9

142.3

124.1

18.0

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

1972

184.2

142.3

127.9

14.4

6.5

– – –

4.7

30.7

1974

186.6

148.7

131.5

17.9

8.7

– – –

4.6

24.4

1976

188.8

148.9

129.4

19.5

9.3

0.5

4.9

26.6

1978

191.0

151.6

134.0

17.5

12.8

2.4

4.3

23.0

1980

194.0

154.1

138.5

15.6

13.8

2.7

3.9

23.3

1982

201.7

157.5

141.8

16.0

12.2

2.5

7.5

28.0

1983

203.8

156.7

139.4

17.7

13.9

2.3

7.3

29.7

1984

205.2

157.5

141.7

15.7

13.9

2.4

7.6

29.8

1986

208.8

160.4

144.6

15.8

13.4

2.5

6.9

31.3

1989

214.3

162.7

146.3

16.3

15.4

3.0

6.1

33.4

1990

216.3

160.5

143.7

16.8

15.4

2.8

6.5

37.2

1991

218.4

160.8

137.1

23.7

18.6

3.0

6.4

35.8

1992

220.7

158.9

143.2

15.8

21.6

3.2

6.4

37.1

1993

223.6

158.8

145.9

12.9

23.9

3.0

6.1

38.8

1994

228.6

159.8

146.2

13.5

25.6

3.1

6.4

40.6

1995

230.4

164.4

151.3

13.1

26.6

3.7

5.9

37.7

1996

232.5

165.5

151.4

14.2

25.8

3.7

6.0

38.9

1997

234.6

165.8

155.9

9.8

22.9

3.8

6.4

41.0

1998

236.8

170.8

159.8

10.8

21.1

4.1

6.3

39.2

1999

239.2

174.2

163.4

10.5

21.9

4.1

5.2

38.5

2000

241.3

173.0

162.5

10.1

22.9

4.0

5.4

40.5

2001

243.6

174.1

163.8

10.0

25.2

4.3

5.1

39.2

2002

245.7

171.3

161.2

9.7

29.1

4.1

5.6

40.6

2003

251.8

173.6

162.1

10.1

30.9

4.5

6.1

41.6

2004

253.7

174.5

162.3

11.6

31.6

4.5

6.1

41.6

2005

256.1

174.7

162.9

11.1

33.2

4.5

6.4

42.1

2006

258.2

171.2

158.8

11.8

36.2

5.4

6.5

43.9

2007

260.7

174.1

160.7

12.7

36.2

5.4

7.0

43.3

– – – Data not available.

1 The category “private coverage” excludes plans that paid for only one type of service such as accidents or dental care. Private coverage is at the time of interview, except in 1990-1996, when it is for the month prior to interview.

2 The category “public coverage” includes Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plan, Medicare (disability), and military plans. Public coverage is at the time of interview, except in 1990-1996, when it is for the month prior to interview.

3 A person was defined as uninsured if he or she did not have any private health insurance, Medicare (1976-2007), Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (1999-2007), state-sponsored (1982-1989, 1992-2007) or other government-sponsored health plan (1997-2007), or military plan. A person was also defined as uninsured if he or she had only Indian Health Service coverage or had only a private plan that paid for one type of service such as accidents or dental care.

4 Includes persons covered by private coverage obtained through an employer, purchased directly, or obtained through any other means.

5 Employer-sponsored private coverage is private insurance originally obtained through a present or former employer or union; this also includes private insurance obtained through the workplace, self-employment, or a professional association. In 1991, an additional question (Was — health insurance coverage from a plan in — own name?) was asked prior to the question concerning employer-sponsored private coverage which may have impacted the affirmative responses to the employer-sponsored question and resulted in a lower estimate than expected for employer-sponsored private coverage.

6 The category “other” includes persons who are covered by private insurance that is not obtained through a current or former employer, union or professional association. This includes directly purchased plans as well as plans obtained through school or other means. See footnote 5 for an explanation concerning the estimates for employer and directly purchased coverage for 1991.

7 The “Medicaid” category includes persons who reported having Medicaid coverage (1990-2007) or having a Medicaid card (1978-1989) or not carrying health insurance because care was received through Medicaid or welfare (1972-1980). It also includes those who reported coverage by “any other public assistance program that pays for health care” in 1982-1989 and 1992-1996; a state-sponsored health plan in 1997-2007; and CHIP in 1999-2007. In 1976-1996, it also includes persons who reported receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Beginning in the third quarter of 2004 a Medicaid probe question was added to reduce potential errors in reporting Medicaid status. Persons under 65 years of age with no reported coverage were asked explicitly about Medicaid coverage.

8 In 1968-1974 Medicare was only asked of persons 65 years of age and over. In 1976 Medicare coverage was estimated through reasons for not having health insurance coverage. Beginning in 1978 Medicare coverage was asked of persons of all ages.

9 The “Other” public coverage category includes military coverage (1982-2007), coverage through “other government programs” (1997-2007), and not carrying health insurance because of military coverage (1972-1980). Military coverage includes TRICARE (CHAMPUS), CHAMP-VA and VA coverage.

Notes: A person may have more than one type of coverage, therefore, individual coverage types may not add up to the population total. Due to rounding, employer-based and other private coverage may not add up to any private coverage. Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. In 1990-1992 approximately 1% of the health insurance responses were imputed.